Jermaine Jenas used The One Show studio to hide 'obsession' from wife
Former England midfielder Jermaine Jenas has admitted to hiding a surprising "obsession" from his wife, Ellie Penfold, since their marriage in 2011; he's an avid collector of trainers. The couple, who have been married for over a decade, share three adorable children - two daughters, Geneva and Olivia, and a son, Jacob.
This week, Jermaine was let go from his role at the BBC amid alleged workplace misconduct. He has since admitted to messaging more than one woman, but insists nothing "physical" ever happened. “I’m not proud of what I wrote and what I said. And I do consider it cheating, yes, although nothing physical ever happened," he said in his first interview since the scandal broke.
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READ MORE:Jermaine Jenas delivers personal message to two women he was texting before BBC sacking
Jermaine's sneaker stash once reached a staggering 750 pairs, prompting covert deliveries directly to the TV studio to keep his hobby from his wife. During a documentary about the globe's priciest kicks, Jermaine said of his footwear fascination: "At one point I was probably around the 750 pairs mark but I'm now down to about 250 because I'm trying to be a bit more niche with the ones I collect."
"I've collected trainers my whole life, I love my trainers. It's the one thing I have to sneak around in my house and buy. My wife has now found out I get them delivered to The One Show instead of at home so that ship's sailed," he said.
Among his vast collection, a pair of neon green and grey Air Max 95s hold a special place in Jermaine's heart. Speaking exclusively to Daily Star, he shared: "They were £110, the first pair of trainers I got when I was a kid."
"I travelled from Nottingham to London to get them with money I'd saved up. I remember that time and how difficult it was to get them and how much they mattered to me. I've got them in a box and I'll never wear them again."
Despite his current millionaire status thanks to his sporting prowess, Jermaine hails from humble beginnings. "When I was younger it was difficult," he confessed, remembering surviving on just four bowls of cereal a day at times. He continued: "My diet was limited as a kid based on the level of income in the house and how hard my mum was working."
Once dubbed the BBC golden boy, the former Match of the Day pundit, who is now trying to repair his marriage to Ellie, lives with his family in his sprawling £1million Hertfordshire home.
